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Maternal Underestimation of Child's Weight at Pre-School Age and Weight Development between Age 5 and 12 Years: The
Tanja G M Vrijkotte1, Tina M C K Varkevisser1,2, Daniel B van Schalkwijk2
1Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Maternal underestimation of a child's weight, especially in children with overweight, is linked to increased weight development up to age 12. Promoting realistic weight perception is crucial for child health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Childhood obesity research
- Maternal health and child development
Background:
- Healthcare monitoring of child growth diminishes with age, potentially increasing parental influence on weight development.
- Parental perception of child weight may impact long-term weight trajectories.
- Understanding maternal underestimation of child weight is critical for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal underestimation of a child's weight at age 5/6 and subsequent weight development until age 12.
- To analyze this association in children with normal weight and those with overweight at baseline.
- To identify factors influencing the relationship between maternal weight perception and child weight gain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) birth-cohort study.
- Employed univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses to assess weight development (∆SDS BMI).
- Defined maternal underestimation by comparing perceived child weight status with actual measurements, excluding underweight children.
Main Results:
- Maternal underestimation was prevalent, particularly in children with overweight (79.7%) compared to normal weight children (5.5%).
- Underestimated weights correlated with higher weight development in both normal weight (β = 0.19) and overweight (β = 0.22) groups.
- After adjustments, the association persisted, though effect sizes diminished, and further explained by parental BMI, ethnicity, and education.
Conclusions:
- A link exists between maternal underestimation of child weight and increased weight development, even in normal-weight children.
- Promoting realistic maternal perception of child weight is essential for managing child weight trajectories.
- Early and accurate assessment of child weight status by parents is vital for preventing unhealthy weight development.
Background:
Healthcare monitoring of child growth reduces with age, which may increase parental influences on children's weight development. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal underestimation of child's weight at age 5/6 and weight development between 5 and 12 years.
Methods:
We performed univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses with data on maternal perception of child's weight and weight development (∆SDS body-mass index; BMI) derived from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) birth-cohort study. Underestimation was defined by comparing maternal perception of child's weight with the actual weight status of her child. Associations were studied in two groups: children with overweight (n = 207) and children with normal weight (n = 1982) at baseline (children with underweight were excluded).
Results:
Underestimation was 5.5% in children with normal weight and 79.7% in children with overweight. Univariate analyses in children with normal weight and overweight showed higher weight development for children with underestimated vs. accurately estimated weights (respectively: β = 0.19, p < 0.01; β = 0.22, p < 0.05). After adjusting for child sex and baseline SDS BMI, the effect size became smaller for children with a normal weight (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) and overweight (β = 0.18, p > 0.05). Paternal and maternal BMI, ethnicity, and educational level explained the association further (remaining β = -0.11, p > 0.05 in children with normal weight; β = 0.06, p > 0.05 in children with overweight).
Conclusions:
The relationship between maternal underestimation of child's weight and higher weight development indicates a need for promoting a realistic perception of child's weight, this is also the case if the child has a normal weight.
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